Thirty years ago, the late, great Gifford community leader J. Ralph Lundy grew alarmed at the number of hungry people in his community. At the age of 70, he took action and enlisted others to start Our Father’s Table Soup Kitchen, a nonprofit organization housed at the Mt. Zion AME Church.

Things began humbly: they were only able to serve soup and sandwiches during the first month but quickly expanded into cooking hot meals.

Last year, they prepared and served 29,185 of them.

“The fact that the numbers we serve continue to grow each year emphasizes that more and more people are hungry,” said the organization’s president Lydia Forbes.

At Lundy’s side from the start was Wilmore Butler, a Bahamian-born Gifford resident who continues his work at the soup kitchen today as senior coordinator.

They decided on the name Our Father’s Table, Butler explains, as a recognition that everything they do is based on faith.

Rachel Pinkney served on the board for 27 years and passed away in January.(Photo11: Tania Ortega-Cowan)

“The reason why this kitchen has stayed for so long is because God is in the plan,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Many services

The organization currently feeds approximately 50 people every weekday, in the dining room at Mt. Zion, as well as an additional 60 meals to the elderly and homebound in Gifford. They also have a warehouse of nonperishable food for those in need.

But the organization has grown to provide far more than food.

“We also serve as a place where people can come to get information to help them in their lives,” said Vice President Marian Metakes, who oversees ordering food and creating menus.

Lydia Forbes and Gene Idlette(Photo11: Tania Ortega-Cowan)

This includes regular visits from the VNA for blood pressure screenings and flu shots, as well as special events.

“The Health Department was just here to give a presentation on health insurance options,” said Metakes. “We host voter registration events, connect people to other nonprofits and even give people rides to apply for jobs. We collect donated clothing, shoes and food, so people are welcome to take what they need.”

A few years ago, Forbes oversaw the start of a dental-services initiative at the soup kitchen called The Smile Program.

“The Press Journal ran a story about us, which generated so many donations that we decided to use some of it to start The Smile Program,” she said. “If someone needs dental work, they do 50 hours of volunteer work with us, then we send them to Treasure Coast Community Health and we pay for it.”

Devotion

It was a previous Press Journal article in 2005 that brought Forbes and her husband Paul to the soup kitchen, in the first place.

“It was right after Hurricane Katrina and the article said donations to the soup kitchen were down because people were sending money to Louisiana,” she recalls.

“We were fresh from New York City with no connections here and I said, 'We need a charity.' So we came.”

Wilmore Butler(Photo11: Tania Ortega-Cowan)

Clearly, the charity needed her too. She became president in 2012.

Collins cooks and serves as a board member. “I just love it,” she said. “I am always available to cook on other days too when we are short-handed. Nobody is going to go hungry on my watch.”

Everything is freshly made each day. Butler, and cooks Millie Cartwright, Cheryl Boothe and Dana Collins get to work at 7:30 a.m. By an hour before serving time, they send the takeout meals to those on the home bound program in a van donated by The Community Church of Vero Beach.

Volunteers Randy Alcala, Vergie Spikes, Keith Battle and Rita Groendyke arrive throughout the morning to help. At a recent lunch, fish and grits were on the menu as well as some decadent looking chocolate desserts donated by Publix.

“The doors open at noon,” said Forbes. “We have everyone sign in to keep track of the numbers of meals but we don’t check ID or eligibility. Everybody is welcome.”

Helping hands

All this wouldn’t be possible without the community stepping up to help, which it has — in abundance.

“We have wonderful contributors,” said Carmack. “Kevin O’Dare has been bringing fresh vegetables and cheese for 22 years, every week. For the past five years, we’ve received fruits and vegetables from Shining Light Garden. And we work in conjunction with the Indian River Food Pantry to provide extra staples for home pantries.”

Area churches provide funds to buy food, including The Community Church, St. Helen Catholic Church, St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church, St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, First United Methodist and First Church of God No. 1 in Gifford. The soup kitchen also receives discounts from Cheney Brothers and Sam’s. The Big Heart Brigade donates 30 turkeys and all the fixings at Thanksgiving.

Blessings

Just before noon every day, board member Gene Idlette comes to pray with the diners.

“It is an obligation to feed the hungry,” he said.

Metakes explains how summertime is especially challenging, in part because children normally fed through school programs have to come to the soup kitchen to eat. Unemployment also goes up in the summer, as service and agricultural workers lose seasonal jobs.

“Feeding people is the most basic thing that you can do,” said Metakes. “Food is life. You can draw all the metaphors you like but food is basic. And that is what draws me.

“This one-on-one interaction — helping people to live.”

Our Father’s Table is located at Mt. Zion AME Church, 4221 28th Avenue in Gifford. Meals are served Monday through Friday from noon-1 p.m. For more information call 772-562-6268.